Hamster issues .

[Paulus]

Personally I wouldn't bother with Hamsters. They sleep all day, and wake up in the evening keeping all and sundry awake all night. They only live for two years and some are quite nasty. They are territory and fight each other, often to death, so you have to keep them apart. I would think of something else as a pet.

 

[Cab]

We had a hamster four or five years ago. She was tame, sweet, friendly, trained to lie on her back and wait to be fed, playful... When they're handled well, and from a young age, they're lovely little creatures. But they should live in a room other than a kids bedroom, being nocturnal, and they're amazing escapologists. Although Smudge used to escape, find some interesting food, and try to take it home to her rotastack.

 

[MsMalfoy]

Dwarf hamsters don't really make satisfying handleable pets, they are more a pet you enjoy through observing them, keeping them in groups, breeding them etc.
If your children want a small pet that they can interact with and handle and which will thrive on the attention then buy a same sex pair of young rats.
Do try and source them from a breeder rather than a pet shop though.

 

[marinyork]

Er, some of this advice sounds a bit odd. I've not had campbell's dwarfs but they are more sociable than other hamsters. That's one of the whole points of getting them plus breeding hybrids.

As for biting, handling should decrease the number of bites. I've found that all the hamsters I've had, they tend to like to bite particular people and leave others alone.

 

[FatBloke]

Stick it in the microwave!!

 

[Mr Phoebus]

Hamster's are very short sighted, most bite till they get acquainted with being handled.
It's just a shock to some at first,they think you're a predator, hence the bite.
If you've got some thick gardening gloves, use them to handle it.
handle it regularly, it should calm down with regular handling.
If not? Then you've been sold a dud.

 

[marinyork]

If they escape, really try not to corner any hamster.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

You've been sold "SPG"

 

[Intelligenthamster]

Some of you guys are frightening me now. I've never bitten anyone.

 

[redcogs]

Imagine if Redcogs' hamster was intelligent like you? He'd have troubles then

Come to think of it, he's got trouble enough outwitting a normal hamster

True enough - maggots are much easier

 

[Arch]

My vet friend says one of the most terrifying things a vet can be faced with is a small child holding a shoebox and saying "Can you tell me what's wrong with Hammy?"

The trick is, when they latch on, NOT to whip your hand out at great speed, so that they hang on and let go at the top of the arc, to be sent flying against the wall.

I'd stick to guinea pigs myself, and I don't fancy anything smaller than I rat, I'd be afraid of squashing it when I picked it up...

Get a couple of baby elephants...

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Get a couple of baby elephants...

tons of fun guaranteed

(and good for the roses, at least the ones they haven't trampled on).

 

[redcogs]

Real progress today.. Picked up the offending creature (now named Grippa) - wearing a pair of industrial gloves. Once held and coaxed and coood and stroked (reminiscent of anything?) she has begun to respond a little, giving a distinct impression that she was merely playing 'hard to get' (familiar at all?). i'll stick with this technique until i'm confident enough to use bare hands.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[marinyork]

One things vets do with hamsters which is quite good is put them on tables rather than handling them as arch says. With my hamsters I found that they enjoyed late night television. When they get older you can also give them things to hoarde.

 

[redcogs]

You mean like gold bullion? Where's Patrick, he's the financial expert?